March 18, 2014

Gosh I can't wait to read all of these books...I seriously hope you're keeping a list because if you don't win, you're going to want to head to the bookstore stat!

Plus, the list will keep you going for awhile because the author I'm talking to today has a new release that won't be out until July...but I can already telly it is going to be worth the wait.

Debut Author Kristy Cambron is here to share about this wild publishing journey...and talk a little about big dreams!

I had the pleasure of meeting Kristy at ACFW a couple years ago and have been blessed by her ever since...

And this book has captured every bit of my curiosity! Read on to find out how you can WIN an Advanced Reader Copy of her soon-to-be-released The Butterfly and the Violin.

Was there ever a time you thought you couldn’t/wouldn’t be able to pursue this big dream of writing a book?

Yes. Absolutely… about a decade ago I set my writing aside for a time. (Has it been that long?) I thought pursuing the dream God laid on your heart was for other people, maybe the ones who won the “dream lottery”? Or those who were blessed in some way? It sure wasn’t an available option for a girl from a small town in rural Indiana, who knew nothing about writing books. But then, that’s what’s so amazing about our God! He takes us – just as we are – and will do amazing things if we lean on His strength to do it.

Did anyone ever tell you that you couldn’t or shouldn’t do this? How did you handle the discouragement?

Interestingly enough, I had a major supporter who told me: You CAN do this! I was working the graveyard shifts at a call center at the time. With nothing to do in-between calls, I decided to try writing. When I told my husband that I wanted to write a book (and I wanted to write it for the Lord), he took me out the next day and bought me a refurbished laptop. The only programs it had were Word Perfect and Solitaire. Those early books are lost somewhere on a floppy disk, but that one spark lit the fire that became a passion for writing Christian fiction.

What’s it feel like to put yourself out there like this – to take a risk to make your big dream come true and actually hold it in your hands?

Hello, sweet readers! I am going to be totally transparent right now: I am just about scared out of my socks at the thought of someone other than my Momma or best friend reading a book I’ve written. (It’s a little late to be worrying about that, I know.)But I had no idea how much of ourselves we authors pour into the books we write. It’s almost like sharing your diary with the world. And the fact that we can hold a Christ-centered book in our hands and know that it may encourage the heart of someone else is so worth it.

What would you say to anyone with a big dream who hasn’t worked up the courage to get started?

I’m asked this question often and I always seem to feel the same answer: you have to think uncommonly about it. I referred to myself as a Christian fiction author for two years before we received our first contract. My husband and I started this journey together and for us, the word “No” wasn’t a part of our vocabulary. We drew a line in the sand early on and decided we were going to pursue this together, no matter how much work and discouragement and pride swallowing it would take; we weren’t giving up. We had many rejections, that’s true. But with each one, we chose to see it instead as a “Not now” or “Not here” rather than throwing in the towel completely. Our vocabulary centered around “Yes” and with God’s guidance, we’d eventually find out where that publishing home would be. My advice to you brave dreamers out there is to own your dream, then hand it over to Jesus.

Is there a quote or verse that’s helped you keep moving forward?

I was driving home from the hospital late one night, after spending more than a week with my Dad in ICU. I remember that as a pivotal point in my writing career. We were losing one of my best friends to leukemia and I admit it: I cried out to God through exhaustion, and sadness, even guilt over the fact that I was a follower of Christ and was struggling with the impending loss. Much of The Butterfly and the Violin was edited at the local cancer center as my Dad underwent chemo. The rest was edited shortly after he passed away. I prayed in the car that night that God’s strength would keep me going (because I had nothing left to give). I went back time and time again to Romans Chapter 8. I used it as my well to draw hope and courage to keep going. (Romans 8:38 was my life verse in 2013.) If you’re in a similar place today, I offer a virtual hug and this chapter from which to draw your strength.

What other dreams are you thinking of pursuing… anything other than writing you’re itching to do?

If writing a book and sharing the penned part of your heart is tough, I’d say answering this question is even more so! J I have a difficult time looking out into the future, especially since the journey we’ve been on so far could never have been anticipated. But in short, I’d say that I have a heart for the working moms out there – those women who are so strong in and outside the home, who wear many hats every day. We’re wives, moms, daughters, sisters, friends, professionals, students, followers of Christ… and we’re constantly trying to find a balance between it all. I’ve been a facilitator in Corporate America for fifteen years and I think because of that, my heart is drawn to you amazing ladies! Someday, I’d love to be involved in a full-time ministry that uplifts and encourages these beautiful working women.

Today. Sera James spends most of her time arranging auctions for the art world’s elite clientele. When her search to uncover an original portrait of an unknown Holocaust victim leads her to William Hanover III, they learn that this painting is much more than it seems.

Vienna, 1942. Adele Von Bron has always known what was expected of her. As a prodigy of Vienna’s vast musical heritage, this concert violinist intends to carry on her family's tradition and play with the Vienna Philharmonic. But when the Nazis learn that she helped smuggle Jews out of the city, Adele is taken from her promising future and thrust into the horrifying world of Auschwitz.

The veil of innocence is lifted to expose a shuddering presence of evil, and Adele realizes that her God-given gift is her only advantage; she must play. Becoming a member of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz, she fights for survival. Adele’s barbed-wire walls begin to kill her hope as the months drag into nearly two years in the camp. With surprising courage against the backdrop of murder and despair, Adele finally confronts a question that has been tugging at her heart: Even in the midst of evil, can she find hope in worshipping God with her gift?

As Sera and William learn more about the subject of the mysterious portrait—Adele—they are reminded that whatever horrors one might face, God’s faithfulness never falters.

To enter today, just leave a comment on this post! That's it!

For more chances to Win, Like Kristy's Facebook Page, Tweet, Facebook, Pin or Blog this giveaway and then come back and leave a comment for each one you do! That's a lot of chances and don't forget you can go back through the previous three posts and enter on those as well!!!

this is a definite must read. I just finished another book based on the same type of survival in a nazi camp. So hard to understand that type of horror and the amazing amount of courage it took to survive it.

Lisa - Thank you for your interest in The Butterfly and the Violin! I hope Adele's story is one that speaks to the heart. ; ) Many blessings and thanks for the FB like! I'm there often and love connecting with new friends. Hugs!

What an inspiring interview...Kristy's book has been on my TBR list for several months now. I can't remember how I ran across it, but as soon as I saw the cover and read the summary I knew it would be one of the books that I would be reading in the near future.